CapsCanada Vegetarian Capsules: A Complete Guide

Looking for encapsulation options featuring capsules for vegetarians? CapsCanada provides a variety of high-quality options, including empty capsules for probiotics and the best capsules for vitamins.

While vegetarian or vegan capsules can be used to encapsulate pharmaceutical products (and often are!) vegetarian capsules are the preferred empty capsule for vitamins and nutritional supplements. This is because plant-based capsules are seen as a better match for the “healthy lifestyle” aspect of nutraceutical products.

Benefits of empty capsules

CapsCanada’s vegetarian capsules line includes four types of empty capsules, all of which...

• Are vegan capsules that are Vegan Registered with the Vegan Society .
• Meet the highest quality standards.
• Provide superior, reliable performance in high-speed capsule filling machines.
• Have excellent capsule-to-tooling fit.
• Feature strong domes that reduce splits, tucks and breaks.
• Are backed by CapsCanada’s technical services team.
• Are manufactured in North and South America, and available globally.
• Can be filled with powders, granules, beads, pastes, liquids and tablets – or a combination of fill types.
• Can withstand higher temperature and humidity conditions than gelatin capsules.
• Are Kosher and Halal certified, Non-GMO, BSE-free and free of animal products, preservatives and common allergens.

The following provides an overview of our plant-based capsules.

K-CAPS® Vegetarian Capsules

Produced with 100% plant-derived hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), K-CAPS® vegetarian capsules are high-quality capsules that can help your products meet the dietary needs of a wide range of adults and children.

K-CAPS® Benefits

In addition to the benefits that all of our vegetarian capsules offer (see list above), K-CAPS® are:

• Continuously available – We maintain a robust inventory of K-CAPS® at strategically-located warehouses across North America. This gives you rapid access to our made-to-stock products.
• Available in all standard sizes – Choose from sizes 000, 00E, 00, 0E, 0, 1, 2, 3 and 4 
  
  
• Fully customizable – You can use your capsule to reinforce your brand message. Choose the capsule's size, color (including PMS – Pantone Matching System – colors), imprint (axial or radial printing on the capsule cap and/or body), finish and banding.

K-CAPS® Applications

K-CAPS® vegetarian capsules are suitable for a wide range of formulations. Due to their low moisture content, they are an excellent choice for use as liquid-fill capsules or to encapsulate fills that are hygroscopic or otherwise sensitive to moisture.

Plus, as compared to gelatin capsules, K-CAPS® offer superior bioavailability for formulations that have low solubility, and they are not prone to cross-linking.

K-CAPS® Vegetarian Capsules Made with Natural Colorants

With the increasing popularity of the “clean labels” movement, the best capsules for supplements may be those that offer the “cleanest label.” K-CAPS® HPMC capsules made with natural colorants meet this demand.

Benefits of K-CAPS® Made with Natural Colorants

In addition to the benefits that all of our vegetarian capsules offer (see list above), K-CAPS®:

• Are free of titanium dioxide (TiO2) This is especially important if you want to sell into the European market, as the European Union prohibits the use of TiO2 as a food additive in food supplements.
• Support your product’s “clean label” claims.
• Are available in a beautiful range of translucent colors.
• Available in sizes 000, 00E, 00, 0E, 0, 1, 2, 3 and 4. 
• Have the same dissolution profile, strength, shelf life and ability to withstand variations in temperature and humidity as K-CAPS® capsules made with synthetic colorants.

Applications of K-CAPS® Made with Natural Colorants

These vegetarian and vegan capsules can be used for all formulations for which HPMC capsules made with synthetic colorants are appropriate. This includes (but is not limited to) liquid encapsulation; as empty capsules for herbal supplements; for vitamins; and as empty capsules for medication.

K-CAPS® Delayed-Release Capsules

K-CAPS® Delayed-Release Capsules are naturally acid-resistant HPMC capsules designed to be used as empty capsules for probiotics, enzymes and other formulations that are sensitive to stomach acid or moisture. Instead of dissolving in the stomach, K-CAPS® Delayed-Release Capsules remain intact until they reach the small intestine.

K-CAPS® Delayed-Release Capsules are currently available in Size 0 and transparent color; more size and color options are coming soon. Capsule customization can be achieved via custom radial or axial printing on the capsule cap or body.

Benefits of K-CAPS® Delayed-Release Capsules

These HPMC vegetarian capsules…

• Do not contain phthalates, which FDA guidelines do not permit in nutraceutical products.
• Shorten product development time and reduce manufacturing costs.
• Eliminate the need to add an enteric coating to the filled capsules (a risky process that can ruin a batch of filled capsules), as the acid resistance is built into the HPMC itself.

Applications of K-CAPS® Delayed-Release Capsules

These delayed-release plant-based capsules can be used to encapsulate:

• Probiotics, enzymes and other formulations that can be damaged or negatively affected by stomach acids
• Formulations, such as NSAIDs (Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs), that can irritate the stomach lining
• Pharmaceutical formulations that need to be delivered directly to the intestinal tract in order to be effective
  

  AR-CAPS® Acid Resistant Capsules 

AR-CAPS® are delayed-release capsules that are used to prevent the release of drugs in the stomach. These naturally acid-resistant HPMC capsules maintain their stability in the harsh acidic environment of the stomach, delivering their contents directly to the intestine.

Note: Because AR-CAPS® contain phthalates, they are only suitable for pharmaceutical applications. For delayed-release capsules for nutraceutical applications, choose our vegetarian, phthalates-free K-CAPS® Delayed-Release Capsules, which is listed above.

AR-CAPS® Benefits

By eliminating the need to incorporate a complex, costly and potentially risky enteric coating process after the capsules have been filled, AR-CAPS® reduce production time and costs for pharmaceutical formulations that require delayed release.

AR-CAPS® are available in a full range of standard sizes and can be fully customized with your choice of colors, finishes and custom imprinting.

AR-CAPS® Applications

AR-CAPS® are a cost-effective and high-quality choice for a large range of enteric delivery  pharmaceutical formulations. In addition, their low moisture content makes them ideal for moisture sensitive or hygroscopic formulations.

Need help choosing the best capsules for your product? The experts at CapsCanada are here to help